Sidney Sheldon

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Sidney Sheldon (born February 11, 1917 in Chicago , Illinois , † January 30, 2007 in Rancho Mirage , California ) was an American writer and Oscar- winning screenwriter .

life and work

Sheldon comes from a Jewish- Russian family. Manic-depressive behavior developed in him at a young age. When he was 17, he wanted to part with sleeping pills and whiskey. His father prevented an early death. Sidney then hired himself as a playwright and screenwriter.

Sidney Sheldon began his literary career at the age of 20 in Hollywood, where he edited rough drafts of scripts. After the Second World War he wrote several musicals for Broadway and at the same time continued to work as a screenwriter for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Paramount studios in Hollywood. He also adapted the musical Annie Get Your Gun for the film of the same name with Howard Keel (1950). His greatest success, however, was in 1947 when he was awarded the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for his work on Love Is Not Easy (The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer) . In addition, Sheldon has directed a number of films and occasionally acted as executive producer (both for example in 1957 for The Buster Keaton Story ).

Sidney Sheldon's first marriage was to actress Jorja Curtwright, who died in 1985. In 1989 he married a second time.

Sidney Sheldon died of pneumonia on January 30, 2007 at the age of 89.

Adorable Jeannie

In addition to his numerous scripts for feature films, Sidney Sheldon also developed two television series . He penned the imaginative sitcom Bewitching Jeannie (I dream of Jeannie) about an astronaut (played by Larry Hagman ) who freed a good-natured and naive genie ( Barbara Eden ) when he crashed in the Pacific and from then on went on an adventure through his magic into the next device. In addition to the basic idea, Sheldon also wrote the templates for 55 of the 139 episodes (including under the pseudonyms Mark Rowane , Christopher Golato and Allan Devon ) and also acted as a producer . The series ran from 1965 to 1970, received a full-length sequel in 1985 and 1991, and provided the model for an animated series (1973).

Hard but warm

In 1978 he designed the crime series Hart zu Hart (Hart to Hart) around the millionaire couple Jonathan and Jennifer Hart (played by Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers ) and their chauffeur Max (played by Lionel Stander ), who solve criminal cases to pass the time. The series was produced from 1979 to 1984 and received eight feature-length sequels between 1993 and 1996.

Novels

It was only at the age of 52 that he began to publish his own books. For his first novel, The Naked Face , he received the prestigious Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America for best first work . Above all, Sheldon's thriller developed into bestsellers , which is why he even received an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the most translated author today .

Many of his works have been made into films, such as Beyond Midnight 1977 with Susan Sarandon , Blutspur 1979 with Romy Schneider , Audrey Hepburn and James Mason , Wrath of the Angels 1983 with Jaclyn Smith , Diamond Dynasty 1984 as a mini-series with Dyan Cannon and Donald Pleasence , The naked face 1984 with Roger Moore , Vengeance is a sweet word 1986 as a mini-series with Tom Berenger , In the shadow of the gods in 1988 with Robert Wagner , In the shadow of the power in 1991 with Jane Seymour and Omar Sharif and The duty to be silent in 1995 as a mini Series with Brooke Shields .

Awards and nominations

  • 1947 Oscar as the best author of an original screenplay for Love Is Not That Easy (The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer)
  • 1949 WGA Award (Writers Guild of America) for Best Film Musical : Easter Parade
  • 1951 WGA Award for the best film musical: Duel in der Manege (Annie Get Your Gun)
  • 1959 Tony Award for Best Musical: (Redhead)
  • 1967 Emmy Award nomination for the best television series in the Comedy category: The Charming Jeannie (I Dream of Jeannie)

Works

Novels

  • The naked face ("The Naked Face", German by Margret Schmitz). Goldmann, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-442-43885-3 (former title: The doctor and the invisible ).
  • Beyond midnight ("The Other Side of Midnight", German by Christiane Bertoncini). Ullstein, Munich 2000, ISBN 3-548-24953-1 .
  • A stranger in the mirror ("A Stranger in the Mirror", German by Egon Strohm ). Ullstein, Munich 2000, ISBN 3-548-24860-8 .
  • Blood trace ("Bloodline", German by Martin Lewitt). Ullstein, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-548-25618-X .
  • Anger of Angels ("Rage of Angels", German by Claus Cornelius Fischer). Goldmann, Munich 2004, ISBN 3-442-13414-5 .
  • Diamond dynasty ("Master of the Game", German by Christel Rost and Gabriele Conrad). Goldmann, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-442-45191-4 (former title: 100 Karat - Diamantendynastie ).
  • Cherry blossoms and Coca-Cola ("The Chase", German by Thomas Nils Lindquist). Goldmann, Munich 1987, ISBN 3-442-43882-9 .
  • Cold embers - revenge is a sweet word ("If Tomorrow Comes", German by Götz Pommer). Goldmann, Munich 1992, ISBN 3-442-41406-7 .
  • In the shadow of the gods ("Windmills of the Gods", German from Sigurd Engel). Goldmann, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-442-45193-0 .
  • The mills of God ("The Sands of Time", German by Wulf Bergner ). Goldmann, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-442-35882-5 .
  • Shadow of Power ("Memories of Midnight", German by Wulf Bergner). Goldmann, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-442-43888-8 .
  • The last conspiracy ("The Doomsday Conspiracy", German by Wulf Bergner). Goldmann, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-442-43883-7 .
  • The empire ("The Stars Shine Down", German by Wulf Bergner). Goldmann, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-442-45189-2 .
  • The duty to be silent ("Nothing Lasts Forever", German by Gerhard Beckmann). Goldmann, Munich 1996, ISBN 3-442-43378-9 .
  • The legacy ("Morning, Noon and Night", German by Gerhard Beckmann). Goldmann, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-442-44176-5 .
  • Time of retribution ("The Best Laid Plans", German by Gerhard Beckmann). Goldmann, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-442-35419-6 .
  • The state secret ("The Dictator", German from WM Riegel). Edition Orbis, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-572-00970-7 .
  • The midnight thief ("Ghost Story", German from WM Riegel). Edition Orbis, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-572-00974-X .
  • The Rain Killer ("The Strangler", German by Tony Westermayr). Edition Orbis, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-572-00967-7 .
  • The twelve commandments ("The Twelve Commandments", German from WM Riegel). Edition Orbis, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-572-00971-5 .
  • The ten questions ("The Money Tree"). Edition Orbis, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-572-00968-5 .
  • The third face ("Tell Me Your Dreams", German by Hans-Peter Krafft). Goldmann, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-442-35496-X .
  • Who the gods punish ("The Sky Is Falling", German by Hans-Peter Krafft). Goldmann, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-442-35781-0 .
  • The wrath of the gods ("Are You Afraid of the Dark?", German by Georg Schmidt). Blanvalet, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-442-36634-7 .

Other

  • My life between the lines ("The Other Side of Me", German by Waltraud Horbas). Blanvalet, 2007, ISBN 978-3-442-36589-0

Filmography

Literary template
  • 1976: Beyond Midnight ( The other side of midnight )
  • 1979: blood trail ( Bloodline )
  • 1982: The Power of the Mighty (Parts 1 + 2) ( Rage of Angels )
  • 1983: The Power of the Mighty (Part 3 + 4) ( Rage of angels - The story continues )
  • 1984: The Naked Face ( The naked face )
  • 1986: Revenge is a sweet word ( If tomorrow comes )
  • 1987: In the Shadow of the Gods ( Windmills of the Gods )
  • 1991: Shadow of Power (Memories of Midnight)
  • 1992: The Mills of God ( Sands of Time )
  • 1992: A Stranger in the Mirror ( A stranger in the mirror )
  • 1995: Doctors - for life and death ( Nothing lasts forever ) - based on the novel "The duty to be silent"
script
  • 1941 South of Panama
  • 1947: Love is not that simple (The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer)
  • 1948: Easter Parade (Easter Parade)
  • 1949: The dancers from Broadway (The Barkley's of Broadway)
  • 1950: Duel in the ring (Annie Get Your Gun)
  • 1951: Pretty, young and in love ( Rich, young and pretty )
  • 1952: Only this (once once Just this )
  • 1953: A corpse on prescription ( Remains to be seen )
  • 1953: You and no other (Dream Wife) - also director
  • 1955: Broadway Magic ( Anything goes )
  • 1955: You're never too young; also: Der Gangsterschreck ( Your'e never too young )
  • 1956: The wrong Eva ( The birds and the bees )
  • 1956: Where men are still men ( Pardners )
  • 1957: The Man Who Never Laughed (The Buster Keaton Story) - also directed and produced
  • 1961: All in a Night (All in a Night's Work)
  • 1962: Play With Me ( Billy Rose's Jumbo )
  • 1965: The Charming Jeannie (I Dream of Jeannie) - TV series
  • 1979: Hart to Hart (Hart to Hart) - TV series

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ DIED: Sidney Sheldon . In: Der Spiegel , 06/2007, p. 182
personal data
SURNAME Sheldon, Sidney
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American novelist and screenwriter
DATE OF BIRTH February 11, 1917
PLACE OF BIRTH Chicago , Illinois , USA
DATE OF DEATH January 30, 2007
Place of death Rancho Mirage , California